The Gay Ole Opry is hitting the road with The Paisley Fields and Karen & the Sorrows for a Southern tour! More about the shows:
Saturday, 4/23: Harrisonburg, VA
Sunday, 4/24: Durham, NC
Monday, 4/25 Asheville, NC
Tuesday, 4/26 Atlanta, GA
Wednesday, 4/27 Nashville, TN
Thursday, 4/28 Lexington, KY
Friday, 4/29 Johnson City, TN
Saturday, 4/30 Charlottesville, VA
Blue Tailed Skinks
www.bluetailedskinks.com
“Skinky” might best word to describe us Blue Tailed Skinks. We’ve been together for almost 15 years and pretty much relate to each other like a family of reptiles. We really love Durm and love doing our part to keep it dirty. We play old time, rock-a-billy, blue grassy blues, and some “where did they get that” (like, for instance, Cajun). And in terms of instrumentation, we’re wild with it: electric bass ukulele, fiddle, kazoo, banjo, mandolin, accordion, acoustic geetar, electric guitar, blues harp, etc. We are Christine Westfall, David Hamill, Ninian Beale, Tony Matthews, Martha Dyer and Sandee Washington.
Lilli Jean
www.lillijeanmusic.com
Lilli Jean is an American Roots, Rock ‘n’ Roll musician with a rainbow skew. She’s like a psychedelic Bonnie Raitt. Combining the forces of Blues and Groove into her own framework of intricate original songwriting, Lilli Jean breathes life into her songs with soul and spirit. Her music has been described as “Dolly Parton meets garage rock” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll for people who know what Rock ‘n’ Roll is… but completely original.”
Mawk Chunk
Mawk Chunk originated in 2015 when Amy Fisher and Caroline Stoltzfus got together to sing through the cold winter months. Both are Pennsylvania natives who met in Asheville, NC and who shared a dream of playing alt-country covers and creating a sound of their own. You may catch them singing sweet harmonies and brushing a snare drum on an Asheville street corner downtown.
Emily Backus
music.theskipperdees.com
Emily Backus is one-half of The Skipperdees, an Americana duo known for their twinsightful songwriting and heartbreaking harmonies. Bandmate/wombmate Catherine is now living her best life in the hills of Virginia, while Emily has made her home in Atlanta. In addition to being mother to the cutest and strangest cat in the world, she teaches music to almost 800 elementary schoolers each week, which brings a constant stream of puzzles and delights! Hear songs at music.theskipperdees.com
Indiana Queen
www.indianaqueen.com
Indiana Queen is an alt country band that resides in Nashville, TN. Fronted by openly queer Kevin Thornton, the band is blazing a new path in a traditionally conservative genre.
Sam Gleaves
www.samgleaves.com
Born and raised in Wythe County in southwest Virginia, Appalachian singer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Sam Gleaves performs innovative mountain music with a sense of history. In Ain’t We Brothers, his recently released debut record produced by Cathy Fink, Sam writes new songs in the Appalachian tradition, telling stories about love, the home place, working people, and present social issues in the mountains. Peggy Seeger calls Ain’t We Brothers “a stunning first album. I keep very few albums that I am given. This one’s a keeper.” He has toured extensively both as a solo artist and with the Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble, performing at U.S. venues such as Mountain Stage and the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, and abroad in Ireland, England, Canada and Japan. His music has been featured by National Public Radio, Kentucky Educational Television, West Virginia Public Radio, Appalshop’s WMMT FM, KEXP, Exclaim!, The Windy City Times, The Bitter Southerner and Still Journal.
Amythyst Kiah & Her Chest of Glass
www.amythystkiah.com
Amythyst Kiah & Her Chest of Glass is a blues dance rock project based in Johnson City, TN. This group is comprised of some of the best musicians out of the TriCities area, including Amythyst Kiah, Southern Gothic singer/guitarist/songwriter, and Matthew Martin, Patrick Taylor, Taylor Green, and Andrew Gibbens from the progressive rock band this mountain.
Debra Guy
http://helpmehelenmusic.com/
From Washington DC’s 9:30 Club to the nightclubs and bars of Los Angeles, native Virginian Debra Guy has been sharing her homegrown, authentic songs with listeners from coast to coast. Guy turns heads with her growly voice, and gritty, honest tunes. As a solo artist, Debra Guy won the 2000 Washington Area Music Award Best Alternative Rock album for her self-produced debut album. Guy spent ten years honing her live performance skills with DC’s alternative rock outfit Honeychuck. Recently, Guy has emerged into her hometown singer-songwriter scene of Charlottesville, Virginia, fronting the acoustic rock quartet, Help Me Helen. Drawing inspiration from her life, Guy’s lyrics often provide an element of catharsis for listeners, reaching them on a deeply personal level. Her passion for writing and singing shine through her energetic and captivating performances